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Former Ukrainian Officer Stands Trial in Germany Over Nord Stream Sabotage
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News18•14-10-2026, 11:30
Former Ukrainian Officer Stands Trial in Germany Over Nord Stream Sabotage
- •A former Ukrainian army officer has gone on trial in Hamburg, Germany, accused of masterminding the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosions.
- •Prosecutors charged the suspect, identified in court as Serhii K., with causing an explosion, property damage, disrupting public service, and acting as an accomplice to war crimes.
- •The September 2022 blasts ruptured the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea, which were designed to carry Russian natural gas to Germany.
- •Investigators allege the plot used a rented yacht originating from a German port, utilizing forged IDs and coordinated bombs planted at a depth of up to 80 meters near Bornholm.
- •The suspect was detained in Italy in 2025 and extradited to Germany, while a second suspect faces potential extradition after being arrested in Croatia.
Key Questions Answered
The suspect, identified as Serhii K. or Serhii Kuznietsov, faces charges of causing an explosion, damaging property, disrupting public service, and being an accomplice to war crimes for attacking civilian infrastructure.
Prosecutors state that the defendant and others used a rented yacht that departed from the German port of Rostock using forged IDs. They allegedly planted and detonated at least four bombs weighing between 14 and 27 kilograms at a depth of 70 to 80 meters near the Danish island of Bornholm.
The suspect was detained in 2025 in an Italian village during a raid on a bungalow where he was staying with his family, and he was subsequently extradited to Germany in November.
